Sec. 8-240b. Bond authorization for retrofitting projects for multifamily residences.
Sec. 8-206g. (Note: This section is effective July 1, 2024.) Group home fire safety funding. Assessment of need. Applications, reporting requirements. (a) The Department of Administrative Services, in consultation with the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection and the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, shall, within available appropriations, establish a pool of funds not later than January 1, 2025, to allow private providers to apply for financial assistance to comply with fire regulation requirements that any group home be equipped with a five-thousand gallon water tank.
(b) The Commissioner of Administrative Services, in consultation with the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, the Connecticut Council of Small Towns, the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities and the Connecticut Builders Trade Association, shall assess the level of need for such funds and review fire regulations for group homes in other states, including, but not limited to, New England states, California and Colorado, to determine whether any changes are necessary in state fire regulations for such group homes. The Commissioner of Administrative Services shall prescribe application requirements for the funding and post such requirements on the Internet web site of the Department of Administrative Services.
(c) Not later than October 1, 2024, the Commissioner of Administrative Services shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, on level of need for the funds to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, finance, public safety, human services, planning and development and public health.
(P.A. 23-137, S. 16.)
History: P.A. 23-137 effective July 1, 2024.
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Sec. 8-206h. (Note: This section is effective July 1, 2024.) Bond authorization for funding for private providers to comply with fire regulation requirements concerning water tanks at group homes. (a) For the purposes described in subsection (b) of this section, the State Bond Commission shall have the power from time to time to authorize the issuance of bonds of the state in one or more series and in principal amounts not exceeding in the aggregate two hundred thousand dollars.
(b) The proceeds of the sale of such bonds, to the extent of the amount stated in subsection (a) of this section, shall be used by the Commissioner of Administrative Services pursuant to section 8-206g, to provide funding for private providers to comply with fire regulation requirements concerning water tanks at group homes.
(c) All provisions of section 3-20, or the exercise of any right or power granted thereby, that are not inconsistent with the provisions of this section are hereby adopted and shall apply to all bonds authorized by the State Bond Commission pursuant to this section. Temporary notes in anticipation of the money to be derived from the sale of any such bonds so authorized may be issued in accordance with section 3-20 and from time to time renewed. Such bonds shall mature at such time or times not exceeding twenty years from their respective dates as may be provided in or pursuant to the resolution or resolutions of the State Bond Commission authorizing such bonds. None of such bonds shall be authorized except upon a finding by the State Bond Commission that there has been filed with it a request for such authorization that is signed by or on behalf of the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management and states such terms and conditions as said commission, in its discretion, may require. Such bonds issued pursuant to this section shall be general obligations of the state and the full faith and credit of the state of Connecticut are pledged for the payment of the principal of and interest on such bonds as the same become due, and accordingly and as part of the contract of the state with the holders of such bonds, appropriation of all amounts necessary for punctual payment of such principal and interest is hereby made, and the State Treasurer shall pay such principal and interest as the same become due.
(P.A. 23-205, S. 96.)
History: P.A. 23-205 effective July 1, 2024.
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Sec. 8-210. State financial assistance for the planning, construction, renovation, site preparation and purchase of property for neighborhood facilities and the development and operation of licensed child care centers, group child care homes and family child care homes. (a) The state, acting by and in the discretion of the Commissioner of Social Services or the Commissioner of Early Childhood, as appropriate, may enter into a contract with a municipality or a qualified private, nonprofit corporation for state financial assistance for the planning, construction, renovation, site preparation and purchase of improved or unimproved property as part of a capital development project for neighborhood facilities. Such facilities may include, but need not be limited to, child care centers, elderly centers, multipurpose human resource centers, emergency shelters for the homeless and shelters for victims of domestic violence. The financial assistance shall be in the form of state grants-in-aid equal to (1) all or any portion of the cost of such capital development project if the grantee is a qualified private nonprofit corporation, or (2) up to two-thirds of the cost of such capital development project if the grantee is a municipality, as determined by the Commissioner of Social Services or the Commissioner of Early Childhood, as appropriate.
(b) The state, acting by and in the discretion of the Commissioner of Early Childhood, may enter into a contract with a municipality, a group child care home or family child care home, as described in section 19a-77, a human resource development agency or a nonprofit corporation for state financial assistance in developing and operating child care centers, group child care homes and family child care homes for children disadvantaged by reasons of economic, social or environmental conditions, provided no such financial assistance shall be available for the operating costs of any such child care center, group child care home or family child care home unless it has been licensed by the Commissioner of Early Childhood pursuant to section 19a-80. Such financial assistance shall be available for a program of a municipality, of a group child care home or family child care home, of a human resource development agency or of a nonprofit corporation which may provide for personnel, equipment, supplies, activities, program materials and renovation and remodeling of the physical facilities of such child care centers, group child care homes or family child care homes. Such contract shall provide for state financial assistance, within available appropriations, in the form of a state grant-in-aid (1) for a portion of the cost of such program, as determined by the Commissioner of Early Childhood, if not federally assisted, (2) equal to one-half of the amount by which the net cost of such program, as approved by the Commissioner of Early Childhood, exceeds the federal grant-in-aid thereof, or (3) in an amount not less than (A) the per child cost as described in subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of section 10-16q, for each child in such program that is three or four years of age and each child that is five years of age who is not eligible to enroll in school, pursuant to section 10-15c, while maintaining services to children under three years of age under this section, and (B) thirteen thousand five hundred dollars for each child three years of age or under who is in infant or toddler care and not in a preschool program. Any such contract entered into on or after July 1, 2022, shall include a provision that at least sixty per cent of the children enrolled in such child care center, group child care home or family child care home are members of families who are at or below seventy-five per cent of the state median income. The Commissioner of Early Childhood may authorize child care centers, group child care homes and family child care homes receiving financial assistance under this subsection to apply a program surplus to the next program year. The Commissioner of Early Childhood shall consult with directors of child care centers in establishing fees for the operation of such centers. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, the Commissioner of Early Childhood shall, within available appropriations, enter into contracts under this section for the purpose of expanding the number of spaces available to children three years of age or under who are in infant or toddler care and not in a preschool program.
(c) The Office of Early Childhood, in consultation with representatives from child care centers, group child care homes and family child care homes, within available appropriations, shall develop guidelines for programs provided at state-contracted child care centers, group child care homes and family child care homes. The guidelines shall include standards for program quality and design and identify short and long-term outcomes for families participating in such programs. The Office of Early Childhood, within available appropriations, shall provide a copy of such guidelines to each state-contracted child care center, group child care home and family child care home. Each state-contracted child care center, group child care home and family child care home shall use the guidelines to develop a program improvement plan for the next twelve-month period and shall submit the plan to the Office of Early Childhood. The plan shall include goals to be used for measuring such improvement. The Office of Early Childhood shall use the plan to monitor the progress of such child care center, group child care home or family child care home.
(d) The state, acting by and in the discretion of the Commissioner of Early Childhood, may enter into a contract with a municipality, a group child care home or family child care home, a human resource development agency or a nonprofit corporation for state financial assistance for a project of renovation of any child care center, group child care home or family child care home receiving assistance under this section, to make such center accessible to persons with physical disabilities, in the form of a state grant-in-aid equal to (1) the total net cost of the project, as approved by the Commissioner of Early Childhood, or (2) the total amount by which the net cost of the project, as approved by the Commissioner of Early Childhood, exceeds the federal grant-in-aid thereof.
(e) Any municipality, group child care home or family child care home, human resource development agency or nonprofit corporation that enters into a contract pursuant to this section for state financial assistance for a child care center, group child care home or family child care home shall have sole responsibility for the development of the budget of the program provided at such child care center, group child care home or family child care home, including, but not limited to, personnel costs, purchases of equipment, supplies, activities and program materials, within the resources provided by the state under such contract. Upon local determination of a change in the type of child care services required in the area, a municipality, group child care home or family child care home, human resource development agency or nonprofit corporation may, within the limits of its annual budget and subject to the provisions of this subsection and sections 19a-77 to 19a-80, inclusive, and 19a-82 to 19a-87a, inclusive, change its child care service. An application to change the type of child care service provided shall be submitted to the Commissioner of Early Childhood. Not later than forty-five days after the Commissioner of Early Childhood receives the application, the Commissioner of Early Childhood shall advise the municipality, human resource development agency or nonprofit corporation of the Commissioner of Early Childhood's approval, denial or approval with modifications of the application. If the Commissioner of Early Childhood fails to act on the application not later than forty-five days after the application's submittal, the application shall be deemed approved.
(f) The Commissioner of Early Childhood may (1) with the approval of the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, authorize the expenditure of such funds for the purposes of this section as shall enable the Commissioner of Early Childhood to apply for, qualify for and provide the state's share of federally assisted child care services, and (2) expend an amount not to exceed two per cent of the amount appropriated for purposes of this section in a manner consistent with the provisions of section 10-509.
(g) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2022, and June 30, 2023, the Office of Early Childhood shall permit any family that meets the eligibility requirements described in subdivision (1) or (2) of subsection (a) of section 17b-749 or subdivision (2) of subsection (d) of section 17b-749 to participate in a program provided at a state-contracted child care center under this section.
(1967, P.A. 522, S. 13; 768, S. 1, 3; 1969, P.A. 588, S. 3, 4; 772, S. 1; 1972, P.A. 198, S. 1; P.A. 73-420; P.A. 74-289, S. 1, 2; P.A. 77-614, S. 323, 531, 610; P.A. 78-73, S. 1–3; P.A. 84-454, S. 1, 3; P.A. 86-417, S. 1, 15; P.A. 87-344; P.A. 91-371, S. 2, 4; P.A. 93-262, S. 1, 87; 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; 95-360, S. 17, 32; P.A. 97-259, S. 20, 41; P.A. 98-252, S. 2, 3, 80; P.A. 12-120, S. 2; P.A. 13-31, S. 3; P.A. 14-39, S. 60; P.A. 15-227, S. 25; P.A. 16-163, S. 6; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 16-3, S. 93; P.A. 17-202, S. 9; P.A. 18-184, S. 7; P.A. 19-117, S. 258; P.A. 21-171, S. 4; 21-172, S. 5; P.A. 22-80, S. 2; 22-116, S. 5; P.A. 23-160, S. 14, 38.)
History: 1969 acts amended Subsec. (b) to require that aid be given only to day care centers licensed by commissioner of health; and amended Subsec. (a) to include assistance for child day care facilities, deleted requirement that projects be approved by Department of Housing and Urban development and split grants-in-aid into two categories; 1972 act allowed grant-in-aid for 80%, rather than two-thirds, of cost of non-federally-assisted program; P.A. 73-420 amended Subsec. (b) to clarify that provision re aid given only to centers licensed by health commissioner applies to aid for operating costs and added Subsec. (d); P.A. 74-289 amended Subsec. (a) to include contracts with human resource development agencies; P.A. 77-614 substituted commissioner of health services for commissioner of health, secretary of the office of policy and management for commissioner of finance and control and commissioner of human resources for commissioner of social services, specified that references to “commissioner” refer to commissioner of human resources rather than to commissioner of community affairs as before and amended Subsec. (c) to delete provision for transfer of community affairs department funds at request of social services commissioner, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 78-73 inserted new Subsec. (c) re renovations to allow access for physically disabled and relettered remaining Subsecs. accordingly; P.A. 84-454 amended Subsec. (b) by adding that financial assistance be provided “within available appropriations” and by changing Subsec. (b)(1) from a grant-in-aid equal to 80% of the “net cost of a day care center program of the municipality or a human resource development agency as approved by the commissioner” to “for a portion of the cost of such program as determined by the commissioner of human resources”; P.A. 86-417 inserted new Subsec. (d) setting forth policy applicable to municipalities or human resource development agencies which receive state financial assistance for day care facilities, relettering previously existing Subsecs. as necessary, and made technical changes; P.A. 87-344 deleted Subsec. (f) on the recoupment of funds and replaced the existing language in Subsec. (a) which provided for a contract with a municipality or a “human resource development agency” and limited the amount of the grant to two-thirds of the net cost of the project or where the project is assisted by the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, one-half the amount by which the net cost of the project exceeds the federal grant; P.A. 91-371 added provision in Subsec. (b) authorizing child day care centers to apply a surplus to the next program year and allowing such centers to establish fees for their operation; P.A. 93-262 authorized substitution of commissioner and department of social services for commissioner and department of human resources, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner of health services with commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 95-360 substituted reference to Sec. 19a-82 for Sec. 19a-81 in Subsec. (d), effective July 13, 1995; P.A. 97-259 added provisions for contracts with nonprofit corporations, added new Subsec. (c) re guidelines for state-contracted child care center programs and redesignated existing Subsecs. (c) to (e) as Subsecs. (d) to (f), effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-252 amended Subsecs. (b) and (e) to make technical changes, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 12-120 amended Subsec. (a) by adding references to Commissioner of Education, amended Subsecs. (b) to (f) by replacing references to Commissioner and Department of Social Services with references to Commissioner and Department of Education, and made technical and conforming changes, effective June 15, 2012; P.A. 13-31 made a technical change in Subsec. (d), effective May 28, 2013; P.A. 14-39 replaced references to Commissioner and Department of Education with references to Commissioner and Office of Early Childhood throughout and replaced “Commissioner of Public Health” with “Commissioner of Early Childhood” in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 2014; pursuant to P.A. 15-227, references to child day care centers were changed editorially by the Revisors to references to child care centers in Subsec. (b) and “child day care service” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “child care service” in Subsec. (e), effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 16-163 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “child day care facilities” with “child care centers”, amended Subsec. (c) by replacing “state-contracted child care center programs” with “programs provided at state-contracted child care centers”, amended Subsec. (d) by replacing “child day care facility” with “child care center”, amended Subsec. (e) by replacing “day care facility” with “child care center”, by replacing “day care program” with “program provided at such child care center” and by replacing “day care service” with “child care services”, amended Subsec. (f) by replacing “day care program” with “child care services”, and made technical and conforming changes, effective June 9, 2016; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 16-3 amended Subsec. (b) by adding Subdiv. (3) re grant-in-aid in an amount up to the per child cost described in Sec. 10-16q(b)(1), effective July 1, 2016; P.A. 17-202 amended Subsec. (d) by replacing “the physically disabled” with “persons with physical disabilities”; P.A. 18-184 amended Subsec. (f) by deleting reference to commissioners discretion, designating existing provision re authorization of expenditure of funds for state's share of federally assisted child care services as Subdiv. (1) and adding Subdiv. (2) re commissioner may expend amount not to exceed 2 per cent of amount appropriated in manner consistent with Sec. 10-509, effective July 1, 2018; P.A. 19-117 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “up to” with “not less than” in Subdiv. (3) and adding provision re amount of any increase of per child cost to be used exclusively to increase educator salaries, effective July 1, 2019; P.A. 21-171 added Subsec. (g) re family participation in a state-contracted child care center program, effective July 1, 2021; P.A. 21-172 added references to group child care homes and family child care homes throughout, effective July 1, 2021; P.A. 22-80 amended Subsec. (b) by designating existing provision in Subdiv. (3) as Subpara. (A) and adding Subpara. (B) re grant-in-aid in an amount not less than $13,500, replacing “June 30, 2020” with “June 30, 2024”, adding “under said subdivision (3), replacing “June 30, 2019” with “June 30, 2023” and adding provision re commissioner to enter into contracts for purpose of expanding number of spaces available to children 3 years of age or under in infant or toddler care, effective July 1, 2022; P.A. 22-116 amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision re contracts entered into on or after July 1, 2022, to include provision that at least 60 per cent of children enrolled are members of families that are at or below 75 per cent of the state median income, effective July 1, 2022; P.A. 23-160 made a technical change in Subsec. (c), effective June 28, 2023, and amended Subsec. (b) by deleting provision re amount of any increase of per child cost to be used exclusively to increase educator salaries and making a technical change, effective July 1, 2023.
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Sec. 8-240a. Housing environment improvement revolving loan fund. Pilot program for retrofitting projects for multifamily residences located in environmental justice communities or alliance districts. Report. (a) As used in this section:
(1) “Alliance district” has the same meaning as provided in section 10-262u;
(2) “Environmental justice community” has the same meaning as provided in section 22a-20a; and
(3) “Low-income resident” means, after adjustments for family size, individuals or families whose income is not greater than (A) sixty per cent of the state median income, or (B) eighty per cent of the area median income for the area in which the resident resides, as determined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
(b) There is established a revolving loan fund to be known as the “Housing Environmental Improvement Revolving Loan Fund”. The fund may be funded from the proceeds of bonds issued pursuant to section 8-240b or from any moneys available to the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection or from other sources. Investment earnings credited to the fund shall become part of the assets of the fund. Any balance remaining in the fund at the end of any fiscal year shall be carried forward in the fund for the next fiscal year. Payments of principal or interest on a low interest loan made pursuant to this section shall be paid to the State Treasurer for deposit in the Housing Environmental Improvement Revolving Loan Fund. The fund shall be used to make low interest loans pursuant to this section and to pay reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in administering loans under this section. The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may enter into contracts with nonprofit corporations to provide for the administration of the Housing Environmental Improvement Revolving Loan Fund by such nonprofit corporations, provided no low interest loan shall be made from the fund without the authorization of the commissioner as provided in this section.
(c) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, in collaboration with the Commissioner of Housing, shall establish a pilot program or programs to provide financing from the fund established in subsection (b) of this section for retrofitting projects for multifamily residences located in environmental justice communities or alliance districts that (1) improve the energy efficiency of such residences, which may include, but need not be limited to, the installation of heat pumps, solar power generating systems, improved roofing, exterior doors and windows, improved insulation, air sealing, improved ventilation, appliance upgrades and any electric system or wiring upgrades necessary for such retrofit, (2) remediate health and safety concerns that are barriers to any such retrofit, including, but not limited to, mold, vermiculite, asbestos, lead and radon, or (3) provide services to assist residents and building owners to access and implement the programs established pursuant to this section or other available state or federal programs that enable the implementation of energy efficiency retrofitting.
(d) On and after July 1, 2024, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, or any program administrator the commissioner may designate, shall accept applications, in a form specified by the commissioner, from any owner of a residential dwelling unit for financing under the program or programs. Any such financing may be awarded to an owner of a residential dwelling unit that is (1) not owner-occupied, and (2) occupied by a tenant or, if vacant, to be occupied by a tenant not more than one hundred eighty days after the award. If such dwelling unit is not occupied within one hundred eighty days of the award, the owner shall return any funds received by the owner to the commissioner.
(e) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall prioritize the awarding of financing for projects that benefit any resident or prospective resident who is a low-income resident.
(f) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall exclude from the program any owner of a residential dwelling unit determined by the Commissioner of Housing to be in violation of chapter 830.
(g) On or before October 1, 2027, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall file a report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, with the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to housing (1) analyzing the success of the pilot program, and (2) recommending whether a permanent program should be established in the state and, if so, any proposed legislation for such program.
(h) The pilot program established pursuant to this section shall terminate on September 30, 2028.
(P.A. 23-205, S. 90.)
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Sec. 8-240b. Bond authorization for retrofitting projects for multifamily residences. (a) For the purposes described in subsection (b) of this section, the State Bond Commission shall have the power from time to time to authorize the issuance of bonds of the state in one or more series and in principal amounts not exceeding in the aggregate one hundred twenty-five million dollars, provided seventy-five million dollars of said authorization shall be effective July 1, 2024.
(b) The proceeds of the sale of such bonds, to the extent of the amount stated in subsection (a) of this section, shall be used by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for the purpose of retrofitting projects for multifamily residences as provided in section 8-240a.
(c) All provisions of section 3-20, or the exercise of any right or power granted thereby, that are not inconsistent with the provisions of this section are hereby adopted and shall apply to all bonds authorized by the State Bond Commission pursuant to this section. Temporary notes in anticipation of the money to be derived from the sale of any such bonds so authorized may be issued in accordance with section 3-20 and from time to time renewed. Such bonds shall mature at such time or times not exceeding twenty years from their respective dates as may be provided in or pursuant to the resolution or resolutions of the State Bond Commission authorizing such bonds. None of such bonds shall be authorized except upon a finding by the State Bond Commission that there has been filed with it a request for such authorization that is signed by or on behalf of the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management and states such terms and conditions as said commission, in its discretion, may require. Such bonds issued pursuant to this section shall be general obligations of the state and the full faith and credit of the state of Connecticut are pledged for the payment of the principal of and interest on such bonds as the same become due, and accordingly and as part of the contract of the state with the holders of such bonds, appropriation of all amounts necessary for punctual payment of such principal and interest is hereby made, and the State Treasurer shall pay such principal and interest as the same become due.
(P.A. 23-205, S. 91.)
History: P.A. 23-205 effective July 1, 2023.
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